In Defense of History: Marxism and the Postmodern Agenda

by John Bellamy Foster (Editor), Ellen Meiksins Wood (Editor)

What is postmodernism? What are the reasons for its attractiveness? In Defense of History is a compelling challenge to postmodern fashion, written by new intellectuals on the left who are reviving historical materialism as an alternative.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Politics

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

John Bellamy Foster is a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, editor of Monthly Review and author of several books on the subject of political economy of capitalism, economic crisis, ecology and ecological crisis, and Marxist theory.

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It is impossible at the present time to write history without a whole range of concepts directly or indirectly linked to Marx's thought and situating oneself within a horizon of thought which has been defined and described by Marx. One might even wonder what difference there could ultimately be between being a historian and being a Marxist." - Foucault

OK. I will try to sum up the general thrust of the argument given in this book in one paragraph.
Postmodernism is a rejection of grand narrative, universal values, totalization and systems. Without these elements, history is reduced to a series of discrete events with no causality between them. If you are unable to conceptualize a totalizing system like capitalism, there can be no real opposition to it. The shift in our culture towards discourse, language, psychoanalysis and micropolitics (online), in general a shift to the personal, is a result of our loss of class analysis and metanarrative. Only a return to historical materialism, where class is primary, can help us regain our footing in understanding the world around us.

There. I largely agree with the views of these writers. It is a bit disheartening to read this book, published in 1997, and realize that they were having the exact same arguments that we are today, 24 years later. There are 14 essays in this collection and the args can get quite repetitive. Some of the essays are very good. There is one essay on the philosophy of science and one debating the primacy of language that were too abstract for my liking. I also noticed a tendency for these writers to denounce Stalinism all the time, and it often felt unrelated to the essay. I am assuming this is because it was written in the 90s and "serious" leftists had to distance themselves from the failed Soviet Union to be taken seriously? Anyways, the history of postmodernist thought was helpful to learn about and this book has encouraged me to read more on this topic. If you feel frustrated by the cyclical discourse online and in the news and are realizing that a lot of the current "left wing" radical language and identity based movements are ineffectual, this book can help you reorient yourself.

If you can find them online, the best essays in this collection are:
"What is the Postmodern Agenda?" by Ellen Meiksins Wood
"Where Do Postmodernists Come From?" by Terry Eagleton
"The Mirror of Race" by Kenan Malik
"Marx and the Environment" by John Bellamy Foster
"In Defense of History" by John Bellamy Foster

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s ok. I liked the contributions from Meiksins Wood, Ahmad, Palmer, and Bellamy Foster. On the other hand there are several very skippable essays. The overarching critique of postmodernism’s anti-universalism is v good, though a bit repetitive throughout. This central critique and defense of historical materialism is still important and relevant, despite the book itself being in many ways a product of its time (the mid nineties: the collapse of “real socialism”, “end of history” neoliberal triumphalism, the Clintonista/Blairite regimes, “cultural studies” at the apex of its powers in the bourgeois academy and Marxism made to be a punching bag). Worth reading selectively for the good bits.

[Jaspreet Sivian]

A must read book for those who are interested in finding new alternatives of the so called post-modernism. The book aims at powerfully critiquing the basic foundations of post-modernism and unmasks the whole polity of post-modern ideology.

[Will Poellnitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shout out Carole Stabile